Malawi

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much Malawi received from  (a) his Department and  (b) British charities in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: The information is as follows.
	 (a) Total DFID bilateral aid to Malawi in each of the last five years is published in Table 12.1 of "Statistics on International Development 2001-02 to 2005-06", a copy of which is available in the Library. The relevant information is reproduced in Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Total DFID bilateral aid to Malawi 
			   £ million 
			 2001-02 45.5 
			 2002-03 49.1 
			 2003-04 54.4 
			 2004-05 56.2 
			 2005-06 68.6 
		
	
	In addition, DFID provides aid to partner countries through the EC and by funding a range of multilateral organisations. The imputed UK share of aid to Malawi through these routes in the years 2000 to 2004 is shown in Table 2. More recent information is not yet available.
	
		
			  Table 2: Imputed UK share of EC and multilateral aid to Malawi 
			  £ million 
			   EC  Multilateral organisations  Total 
			 2000 7.3 4.1 11.3 
			 2001 7.7 5.7 13.4 
			 2002 4.2 1.7 5. 9 
			 2003 5.5 9.6 15.1 
			 2004 6.5 3.6 10.1 
		
	
	 (b) DFID does not collect, or centrally hold, information on the aggregate amount of money received by Malawi from British charities.

Iran

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value was of UK exports to Iran in each year since 1997; and what percentage of all UK exports each figure represents.

Ian McCartney: The data requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   UK exports of goods and services to Iran (£ million)  As a percentage of total UK exports of goods and services 
			 1997 448 0.19 
			 1998 412 0.18 
			 1999 333 0.14 
			 2000 411 0.15 
			 2001 596 0.22 
			 2002 578 0.21 
			 2003 687 0.24 
			 2004 676 0.23 
			 2005 671 0.21 
			  Note: Balance of Payments basis.  Source: Pink Book 2006, Table 9.3

Departmental Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost was of  (a) fixed line telephone bills and  (b) mobile telephone bills in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The available figures are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Department/agency   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 HM Treasury Both fixed and mobile (1)— 1,592 1,416 1,796 1,558 
			 Debt Management Office Fixed (1)— 80 94 135 103 
			  Mobile (1)— 2 4 5 4 
			 Office of Government Commerce Fixed (1)— 392 434 523 380 
			  Mobile (1)— 82 64 87 74 
			 OGCbuying.solutions Fixed (1)— (1)— (1)— 67 65 
			  Mobile (1)— (1)— (1)— 28 31 
			 Valuation Office Agency Fixed (1)— 1,880 1,162 1,587 1,236 
			  Mobile (1)— 30 57 139 135 
			 HM Revenue and Customs Fixed 18,160 20,454 23,742 21,945 (2)13,134 
			  Mobile 2,753 2,576 2,698 4,041 3,595 
			 Royal Mint Fixed 138 147 159 (3)209 75 
			  Mobile 11 15 24 31 38 
			 National Savings and Investments Fixed 65 109 104 29 51 
			  Mobile 7 7 6 7 11 
			 Office of National Statistics Fixed 434 457 726 870 835 
			  Mobile 8 95 82 98 258 
			 Government Actuary's Department Fixed 35 36 38 39 40 
			  Mobile 0 0 0 0 4 
			 (1) Figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost. (2) The decrease in landline charges for HMRC in 2005-06 reflects the transfer of responsibility for maintenance and service of the telephone system to the Department's IT partner. (3) The high fixed line charge for the Royal Mint in 2004-05 related to a settlement in respect of 0845 numbers which had not been charged by BT over the previous three years. The reduction in 2005-06 was due in part to the more competitive marketplace and in part to more efficient use of the charging system by the Mint.

National Insurance

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people made voluntary national insurance contributions in each year for which records are available; and what the total value was of such contributions in each year for which records are available.

Dawn Primarolo: Latest available figures from 1994-95 are shown in the table. National insurance Class 3 contributions must be made before the end of the sixth tax year following the one in which they were due, hence figures are likely to increase, particularly the latest years.
	
		
			  National insurance Class 3 contributions 
			  In respect of tax year  Contributors (Thousand)  Contributions (£ million) 
			 1994-95 336 57 
			 1995-96 322 60 
			 1996-97 377 86 
			 1997-98 339 85 
			 1998-99 326 83 
			 1999-2000 306 81 
			 2000-01 279 74 
			 2001-02 261 71 
			 2002-03 288 71 
			 2003-04 250 64 
			 2004-05 88 31 
			  Notes: 1. Based on a 1 per cent. extract of the national insurance recording system created in August 2006. 2. Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand, and amounts to the nearest £ million. 3. Amounts are based on the rate that applied for the year the contribution is associated with, and does not reflect increases in rate which apply for those who pay late.

Pensions

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's estimate is of the cost of contracting out by way of  (a) reduced national insurance contributions and  (b) age-related rebates for (i) each year from 2006 to 2012 for all occupational defined contribution schemes and (ii) each year from 2006 to 2052 for (A) personal and stakeholder pension plans, (B) employee contributions in public sector defined benefit schemes, (C) employer contributions in public sector defined benefit schemes and (D) contributions in respect of private sector defined benefit schemes.

James Purnell: I have been asked to reply.
	The information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  (i) Estimated Cost of Contracted-out Rebates for Defined Contribution Occupational Pension Schemes—2006-07 price terms 
			  
			  Tax year  Reduced rate NICs  Age-related rebates  Total (£ billion) 
			 2006-07 0.3 0.2 0.5 
			 2007-08 0.2 0.3 0.5 
			 2008-09 0.2 0.3 0.5 
			 2009-10 0.2 0.3 0.5 
			 2010-11 0.2 0.3 0.5 
			 2011-12 0.2 0.3 0.5 
			 2012-13 0.2 0.3 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii)(a) Estimated Cost of Contracted-out Rebates for Personal and Stakeholder Pensions—2006-07 price terms 
			  Tax year  Cost (£ billion) 
			 2006-07 2.8 
			 2007-08 3.2 
			 2008-09 3.3 
			 2009-10 3.3 
			 2010-11 3.4 
			 2011-12 3.5 
			 2012-13 3.6 
			 2013-14 3.6 
			 2014-15 3.7 
			 2015-16 3.8 
			 2016-17 3.8 
			 2017-18 3.8 
			 2018-19 3.9 
			 2019-20 3.9 
			 2020-21 3.9 
			 2021-22 4.0 
			 2022-23 4.0 
			 2023-24 4.0 
			 2024-25 4.0 
			 2025-26 4.0 
			 2026-27 3.9 
			 2027-28 3.9 
			 2028-29 3.9 
			 2029-30 3.9 
			 2030-31 3.8 
			 2031-32 3.8 
			 2032-33 3.8 
			 2033-34 3.7 
			 2034-35 3.7 
			 2035-36 3.7 
			 2036-37 3.8 
			 2037-38 3.8 
			 2038-39 3.9 
			 2039-40 4.0 
			 2040-41 4.1 
			 2041-42 4.2 
			 2042-43 4.2 
			 2043-44 4.3 
			 2044-45 4.4 
			 2045-46 4.5 
			 2046-47 4.6 
			 2047-48 4.7 
			 2048-49 4.7 
			 2049-50 4.8 
			 2050-51 4.9 
			 2051-52 5.0 
			 2052-53 5.1 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) (b) and (c) Estimated Cost of Contracted-out Rebates for Public Sector Defined Benefit Occupational Pension schemes—2006-07 price terms 
			  Cost (£ billion) 
			  Tax year  Employer  Employee 
			 2006-07 1.3 2.9 
			 2007-08 1.3 3.0 
			 2008-09 1.4 3.1 
			 2009-10 1.4 3.1 
			 2010-11 1.4 3.2 
			 2011-12 1.5 3.3 
			 2012-13 1.5 3.1 
			 2013-14 1.5 3.1 
			 2014-15 1.6 3.2 
			 2015-16 1.6 3.3 
			 2016-17 1.6 3.3 
			 2017-18 1.6 3.2 
			 2018-19 1.6 3.3 
			 2019-20 1.7 3.3 
			 2020-21 1.7 3.4 
			 2021-22 1.7 3.4 
			 2022-23 1.7 3.3 
			 2023-24 1.7 3.3 
			 2024-25 1.7 3.3 
			 2025-26 1.7 3.4 
			 2026-27 1.8 3.4 
			 2027-28 1.8 3.4 
			 2028-29 1.8 3.4 
			 2029-30 1.8 3.5 
			 2030-31 1.8 3.5 
			 2031-32 1.8 3.5 
			 2032-33 1.8 3.6 
			 2033-34 1.8 3.6 
			 2034-35 1.9 3.6 
			 2035-36 1.9 3.6 
			 2036-37 1.9 3.7 
			 2037-38 1.9 3.7 
			 2038-39 1.9 3.7 
			 2039-40 1.9 3.8 
			 2040-41 1.9 3.8 
			 2041-42 2.0 3.8 
			 2042-43 2.0 3.8 
			 2043-44 2.0 3.8 
			 2044-45 2.0 3.8 
			 2045-46 2.0 3.9 
			 2046-47 2.0 3.9 
			 2047-48 2.0 3.9 
			 2048-49 2.0 3.9 
			 2049-50 2.0 3.9 
			 2050-51 2.0 3.9 
			 2051-52 2.0 3.9 
			 2052-53 2.0 3.9 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) (d) Estimated Cost of Contracted-out Rebates for Private Sector Defined Benefit Schemes—2006-07 price terms 
			  Tax year  Cost (£ billion) 
			 2006-07 2.8 
			 2007-08 2.9 
			 2008-09 2.8 
			 2009-10 2.8 
			 2010-11 2.7 
			 2011-12 2.6 
			 2012-13 2.4 
			 2013-14 2.3 
			 2014-15 2.2 
			 2015-16 2.1 
			 2016-17 2.1 
			 2017-18 1.9 
			 2018-19 1.9 
			 2019-20 1.8 
			 2020-21 1.7 
			 2021-22 1.6 
			 2022-23 1.5 
			 2023-24 1.5 
			 2024-25 1.4 
			 2025-26 1.4 
			 2026-27 1.4 
			 2027-28 1.3 
			 2028-29 1.3 
			 2029-30 1.3 
			 2030-31 1.3 
			 2031-32 1.3 
			 2032-33 1.3 
			 2033-34 1.3 
			 2034-35 1.3 
			 2035-36 1.3 
			 2036-37 1.3 
			 2037-38 1.3 
			 2038-39 1.3 
			 2039-40 1.3 
			 2040-41 1.3 
			 2041-42 1.3 
			 2042-43 1.3 
			 2043-44 1.4 
			 2044-45 1.4 
			 2045-46 1.4 
			 2046-47 1.4 
			 2047-48 1.4 
			 2048-49 1.4 
			 2049-50 1.4 
			 2050-51 1.4 
			 2051-52 1.4 
			 2052-53 1.4 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are on a GB basis and are expressed in £ billion in 2006-07 prices, to the nearest £100 million. 2. The projection is based on current legislation and does not take account of the measures introduced in the Pensions Bill 2006. This means: contracting out for Personal and Stakeholder Pension schemes is assumed to continue in the future; State Second Pension is assumed to accrue on earnings between the lower and upper earnings limits; and the state pension age is assumed to remain at 65 after 2020. 3. The projection is based on PBR 2005 forecasts. 4. The rebate for defined contribution Occupational Pension schemes is delivered through reduced rate national insurance contributions for both employees and employers and an end of year age-related payment into the fund. 5. The rebate for contracted-out Personal and Stakeholder Pension schemes is delivered wholly through an end of year age-related payment into the fund. 6. The rebate for Defined Benefit Occupational Pension schemes is delivered through reduced national insurance contributions for employees and employers. 7. The split between public and private sector Defined Benefit Occupational Pension schemes should be treated with extreme caution—this is very approximate based on broad assumptions.

Single Parents

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many single parents there were in each quarter from 2000-01 to 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 30 November 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question on how many lone parents there were in each quarter from 2000-01 to 2006.I am replying in her absence. (104254)
	Estimates of the number of lone parents are not available on a quarterly basis. Annual estimates of the numbers of lone parent families with dependent children in the United Kingdom are available from Labour Force Survey. Figures for the years requested are given in the table below.
	
		
			  Number of lone parent families, 2000-05, United Kingdom 
			  Thousand 
			   Lone parents with dependent children( 1)  Lone parents with non-dependent children only  Total 
			 2000 1,712 741 2,454 
			 2001 1,767 755 2,522 
			 2002 1,808 751 2,559 
			 2003 1,811 794 2,605 
			 2004 1,841 802 2,643 
			 2005 1,878 783 2,662 
			 (1) Dependent children are those aged under 16 or aged 16 to 18 who are never-married and in full-time education.  Note: Numbers may not add due to rounding.  Source: Labour Force Survey Household dataset average of spring and autumn quarters

Arson

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were killed by  (a) arson and  (b) suspected arson in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The available information covers deaths in deliberate fires attended by the fire and rescue service, and includes suicides.
	
		
			  England: Deaths in deliberate fires attended by fire and rescue services 
			   Number 
			 1997 98 
			 1998 84 
			 1999 92 
			 2000 91 
			 2001 67 
			 2002 94 
			 2003 100 
			 2004 78 
			 2005 (Provisional data) 82 
			  Note: Includes deaths reported during the strike periods in 2002 and 2003.  Source: Fire and rescue service reports to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will reply to the letter of 2 October 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. J. Meehan.

Angela Smith: My right hon. Friend has now responded to my right hon. Friend's letter.

Departmental Estate

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total floor space is of each of the buildings occupied  (a) in whole and  (b) in part by her Department.

Angela Smith: The total floor space in each of the buildings occupied by Communities and Local Government is as follows:
	
		
			  Sq m 
			  Property  (a) Floor space in buildings occupied in whole  (b) Floor space in buildings occupied in part 
			 Eland House London 22,650 — 
			 Ashdown House London — 6,727 
			 Allington Towers, London — 1,911 
			 Exchange Tower, London 710 — 
			 Ashdown House Hastings — 722 
			 Hempstead House Hemel Hempstead — 1,198 
			 Building 3, Garston 297 — 
			 1 High St. Glossop 107 — 
			 Fire Experimental Unit Moreton-in-Marsh 1,374 — 
			 Hangar 97 Little Rissington 4,181 — 
			 Temple Quay House, Bristol — 278 
			 Unit B Interlink Park, Bardon, Leicestershire 5,923 — 
			 Sub total 35,242 10,836 
			 Total  (a) and  (b) 46,078 
		
	
	The Department also has 1,981 sq m on two floors in Stockley House. These are currently unoccupied but will be occupied temporarily in 2007 as decant space to enable the reorganisation of Eland House to full open plan standard. The move to open plan in Eland House is part of the Department's plan to rationalise its central London buildings by March 2008.
	In addition the Equalities Review Team, a body sponsored by Communities and Local Government, remain in 26 Whitehall but their occupation is not expected to continue after the end of this financial year. Communities and Local Government is not being charged for the space occupied.
	These figures do not include Government offices which perform functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments; nor do they include the Department's three agencies.

School Fires

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fires there were in schools in England in each month in each of the past four years.

Angela Smith: The available information covers fires which were attended by the fire and rescue service.
	
		
			  England: Fires in schools 
			   Annual total  January  February  March  April  May  June 
			 2002 1,249 83 82 108 120 124 101 
			 2003 1,232 86 103 140 96 120 96 
			 2004 1,229 122 82 178 94 108 100 
			 2005 (provisional) 1,095 101 98 95 86 97 102 
		
	
	
		
			   July  August  September  October  November  December 
			 2002 118 72 154 117 102 67 
			 2003 82 94 125 110 93 87 
			 2004 81 65 88 66 158 88 
			 2005 (provisional) 106 62 79 92 120 57 
			  Notes: 1. Excludes fires during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003. 2. Figures for 2002-04 are based on sampled data grossed to fire and rescue service totals.  Source: Fire and rescue service returns to the Department for Communities and Local Government

Children in Poverty

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of children in  (a) Glenrothes and  (b) Scotland living in poverty in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Murphy: The available information is in the table. Estimates are shown both before and after housing costs. Information is not available below the level of nation or Government office region.
	
		
			  Percentage of children living in low income households: Scotland 1994/95-1996/97 to 2002/03-2004/05 
			  Percentage 
			   Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 27 31 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 28 32 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 28 31 
			 1997-98 to 1999-2000 27 30 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 26 30 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 25 30 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 24 29 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 23 27 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 21 25 
			  Notes:  1. Percentages are presented using a three-year moving average, as single-year estimates do not provide a robust guide to year-on-year changes. Hence, figures are not consistent with any previously published single-year estimates and there may be differences in changes over time. In circumstances such as a change in trend, moving averages will show less variation than single-year estimates.  2. Low income is determined for children as living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of the Great Britain median.  3. Information is not available below the level of nation in Scotland and Wales or Government office region in England.  Source:  Family Resources Survey.

Council Tax Benefit

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in Bristol East constituency are in receipt of council tax benefit; and how many of those recipients are  (a) pensioner and  (b) non-pensioner households.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

Incapacity Benefit

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals by claimants against decisions on non-entitlement to incapacity benefit there have been in each year since 2000; what the average length of time taken to determine such appeals was in each year; and what the cost of such appeals was in each year.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	The information you have asked for is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Received  Average clearance (weeks)  Average unit cost (£) 
			 2000-01 48,520 14.3 208 
			 2001-02 49,770 15.0 219 
			 2002-03 61,150 12.2 231 
			 2003-04 62,970 10.7 271 
			 2004-05 62,600 9.9 257 
			 2005-06 63,630 9.5 260 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data become available. 2. Figures for latest months may increase substantially as information feeds through to the Appeals Service. 3. "Received" figures based on those received by the Appeals Service in the year specified. 4. "Received" figures are rounded to the nearest ten. 5. Figures exclude SDA cases. 6. "Average clearance" covers the period from date of receipt by the Appeals Service until the date a decision on the appeal is made. 7. "Average unit cost" is the average cost of clearing an appeal (all benefit types) by the Appeals Service.  Source:  100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System (received count and average clearance)

Medical Assessments

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of medical assessments for  (a) disability living allowance,  (b) attendance allowance,  (c) industrial injuries disablement benefit and  (d) incapacity benefit have been appealed in each of the last five years; and what the cost was of administering such appeals in each year.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	The information you have asked for is not available in the format you have requested as data is not captured on the number of medical assessments which are appealed against.
	The following tables instead gives details of the total number of claims and appeals for disability living allowance, attendance allowance, industrial injuries disablement benefit and incapacity benefit as well as the average unit cost of administering an appeal.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance 
			   Total number of claims received(includes awards and refusals)  Number of appeals 
			 2001-02 407,810 83,430 
			 2002-03 433,350 81,710 
			 2003-04 442,150 84,330 
			 2004-05 427,550 85,580 
			 2005-06 430,520 82,230 
		
	
	
		
			  Attendance allowance 
			   Total number of claims received(includes awards and refusals)  Number of appeals 
			 2001-02 386,540 11,490 
			 2002-03 399,790 10,320 
			 2003-04 422,140 9,730 
			 2004-05 393,890 8,200 
			 2005-06 410,730 7,220 
		
	
	
		
			  Industrial injuries disablement benefit 
			   Total number of claims received(includes awards and refusals)  Number of appeals 
			 2001-02 n/a 22,330 
			 2002-03 61,820 18,350 
			 2003-04 57,570 15,560 
			 2004-05 44,110 12,240 
			 2005-06 40,230 11,560 
		
	
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit 
			   Total number of claims received(includes awards and refusals)  Number of appeals 
			 2001-02 625,980 49,770 
			 2002-03 705,570 61,150 
			 2003-04 665,840 62,970 
			 2004-05 590,760 62,600 
			 2005-06 530,200 63,630 
		
	
	
		
			  Average unit cost of administering an appeal (all benefit types within the Tribunals Service only) 
			   Average unit cost (£) 
			 2001-02 219 
			 2002-03 231 
			 2003-04 271 
			 2004-05 257 
			 2005-06 260 
			  Notes: 1. Figures on claims and appeals are rounded to nearest 10. 2. Figures for industrial injuries disablement benefit claims are not available prior to April 2002. 3. "'Number of appeals" relates to the number received by the Tribunals Service (previously Appeals Service) in the year specified and may not relate to a claim counted in the same year.  The following special points should be noted :  Appeals Data: 1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data become available. 2. Figures for the latest months may increase substantially as information feeds through to the Appeals Service. 3. Migration of customer records from the existing Generic Appeals Processing Systems (GAPS) to the new G2 system commenced on the 5 of June 2006. Consequently during the migration period information from GAPS will over time diminish while G2 will increase. 4. "Received" denotes the number of appeals registered at the Appeals Service.  Source: 100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System.  Benefit Data: 1. DLA figures include top up DLA and a small number of Mob A claims. 2. DLA and AA figures for January 2000 are estimated. 3. Total number of claims received includes claims awarded, refused, withdrawn and defective.  Source:  Management Information Systems

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library the data underlying the graph on page 46 of the response to the report by the Parliamentary Ombudsman 'Trusting in the Pensions Promise' showing cash and net present value cost over time for compensating those who have suffered diminutions in their pensions.

James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond), on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 1636-37.

Poverty

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children have been classed as living in poverty in each of the last 10 years when poverty is defined as  (a) less than 50 per cent. and  (b) less than 60 per cent. of the median national income, broken down by (i) electoral ward in London and (ii) constituency.

Jim Murphy: The figures are not available by UK constituency or London electoral ward.
	Specific information regarding low income in the Government office regions and countries of Great Britain is available in the Households Below Average Income 2004-05 publication. This is available in the House of Commons Library.

Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what pension income a single pensioner in the UK would have needed in 2005-06 to avoid being classed as being in relative poverty on the 60 per cent. of median income definition, assuming entitlement to and take up of housing benefit and council tax benefit.

James Purnell: The information requested is not available. Data for 2005-06 is expected to be published in the spring of 2007.

State Pension

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is the policy of his Department to make a statement on the timing of the restoration of the link between the basic state pension and average earnings within the first year of the next parliament; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: The White Paper on pension reform, Security in retirement: towards a new pensions system, published on 25 May, states that the Government will make a statement on the precise date of the earnings uprating of the basic state pension at the beginning of the next Parliament.

Business Growth Plans

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on West, Belfast owned businesses to implement growth plans through the development of markets outside Northern Ireland in each year since April 2002.

Maria Eagle: The following table provides the information requested.
	
		
			  Financial year  Assistance offered (£ million) 
			 2002-03 2.6 
			 2003-04 4.2 
			 2004-05 2.1 
			 2005-06 1.2 
			 Total 10.1

Environmental Improvement Schemes

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on environmental improvement schemes in each district council area in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The following table shows the amount of funding spent by the Department for Social Development on Environmental Improvement Schemes and includes spending on public realm schemes during the last five years.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Name of Council  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Antrim — — — 130,140.00 164,653.15 
			 Ards — — — — — 
			 Armagh City — — — 30,000.00 323,000.00 
			 Ballymena — — — — 65,793.78 
			 Ballymoney — — — — — 
			 Banbridge — 80,808.56 306,152.37 240,620.00 4,820.00 
			 Belfast City 2,890,294.00 2,985,673.31 4,031,996.19 6,394,924.87 2,463,925.50 
			 Carrickfergus — — — — 6,824.79 
			 Castlereagh — — — — — 
			 Coleraine — 2,273.03 100,519.44 138,873.58 466,761.33 
			 Cookstown — — 6,255.00 — — 
			 Craigavon — — — — — 
			 Derry City 793,880.47 333,179.77 451,570.89 314,183.04 148,924.57 
			 Down — 23,750.00 — 2,500.00  
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone — — — — — 
			 Fermanagh — — — 57,519.37 1,142,480.63 
			 Lame — — 4,880.00 12,375.00 — 
			 Limavady — Nil Nil 102,513.74 303,739.57 
			 Lisburn — — — — — 
			 Magherafelt — — — — — 
			 Moyle — — — — 385,876.31 
			 Newry — 23,750.00 82,501.34 14,949.90 42,500.00 
			 Newtownabbey — — — — — 
			 North Down — — — — 126,836.22 
			 Omagh — 1,650.00 3,800.00 93,575.32 924,460.91 
			 Strabane 97,625.00 81,635.51 15,279.36 1,750.00 189,963.86

Industrial Development Board

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs the former Industrial Development Board created in Belfast, West in  (a) 1992 to 1997 and  (b) 1997 to 2001.

Maria Eagle: The Industrial Development Board did not directly create jobs. It attracted investors to Northern Ireland and assisted businesses to grow and develop which in turn may have led to job creation. Information on job promotions is not available by-parliamentary constituency prior to 1995-96. Information has therefore been provided from 1995-96 onwards.
	 (a) Between 1995-96 and 1996-97, 1,287 jobs were promoted through IDB assisted investment in Belfast, West.
	 (b) Between 1997-98 and 2001-02 1,335 jobs were promoted through IDB assisted investment in Belfast, West.

Invest Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Invest Northern Ireland has spent in the constituency of Belfast West in each year since April 2002.

Maria Eagle: The following table details the amount of assistance offered within the constituency of Belfast West each year since April 2002.
	
		
			  Financial Year  Assistance offered (£ million) 
			 2002-03 4.2 
			 2003-04 8.1 
			 2004-05 8.5 
			 2005-06 2.1

Invest Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Invest Northern Ireland has spent in Belfast West constituency to support business improvement, trade development and knowledge management projects in each year since April 2002.

Maria Eagle: This information is not available on a parliamentary constituency basis for 2002-03. Information is therefore presented from 2003-04 to 2005-06.
	The following table presents Invest NI assistance offered in Belfast West parliamentary constituency to support business development, knowledge management and research and development projects 2003-04 to 2005-06.
	
		
			  Assistance Offered 
			   £000 
			  Financial Year  Business Improvement  Knowledge Management  Research and Development  Total 
			 2003-04 717.9 239.3 397.6 1354.8 
			 2004-05 160.5 7.9 446.3 614.7 
			 2005-06 876.8 — 317.0 1193.8 
			 Total 1,755.2 247.2 1,160.9 3,163.3

Invest Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage financial assistance provided by Invest Northern Ireland was spent in Belfast West constituency in each year since April 2002 as part of the 'Targeting Social Need' initiative.

Maria Eagle: On average 95 per cent. of this assistance was made to new 'Targeting Social Need' (nTSN) areas within the constituency.

Invest Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much financial assistance has been given in the form of selective financial assistance by INVEST Northern Ireland to  (a) encourage the start-up and growth of local and foreign owned business in Belfast, West and  (b) attract investment into Belfast, West in each year since April 2002.

Maria Eagle: This information has been provided in the tables:
	
		
			  Start up and growth 
			  Financial year  Assistance offered (£) 
			 2002-03 1,916,300 
			 2003-04 3,325,582 
			 2004-05 452,476 
			 2005-06 474,409 
		
	
	
		
			  Attract Investment 
			  Financial year  Assistance offered (£) 
			 2002-03 400,000 
			 2003-04 3,577,390 
			 2004-05 6,449,500 
			 2005-06 67,911

Local Government Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether a material change to a domestic property without a change to the ownership of the property will result in a change to the domestic rates bill under the new system for local government finance in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: A material change to a domestic property, without a change to the ownership of the property, will result in a change to the domestic rates bill under the new system provided that the material change results in a change in the capital value of the property. It should be noted that alterations to property will not affect liability until the next rating year following their revised assessment.
	This was the case under the old NAV system introduced in 1977 and similar arrangements have been in operation in Northern Ireland for over one hundred years.

Children in Care/Custody

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the mean per capita cost was of  (a) keeping a child in care,  (b) educating a child in care,  (c) keeping a child in custody and  (d) educating a child in custody in each of the last five years; what the total expenditure was in each category in each year; how these figures are collated; who is responsible for collecting the data; and since when such records have been kept.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Information Centre (IC) for health and social care is currently responsible for collecting data on the costs of keeping a child in care. DfES will take responsibility for the collection in 2008-09. The IC has provided the following information on children in care.
	Data on Personal Social Services Expenditure has been recorded since the financial year 1994-95 via a statistical return issued to councils on an annual basis. From 2000-01 the PSSEX1 return replaced the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Actuals return RO3, which was discontinued after 1999-2000. The PSSEX1 is a joint return between the IC for health and social care and CIPFA. The Department of Health was responsible for this return from 2000-01 to 2003-04, from 2004-05 the return has been the responsibility of the IC.
	
		
			  Unit cost per week to look after a child in care, England 2000-01 to 2004-05 
			  Children looked after in foster care or children's homes( 1)  £ per child per week 
			 2000-01 502 
			 2001-02 487 
			 2002-03 560 
			 2003-04 620 
			 2004-05 675 
			 (1) This includes short term placements, respite, placed for adoption (with foster care) and residential school placements (with children's homes) for children looked after and full cost paying. This is the Performance Assessment Framework Indicator B8.  Source: PSSEX1 
		
	
	
		
			  Total expenditure for looked after children and youth justice, England 2000-01 to 2004-05 
			  £000 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Total for looked after children(1) 1,316,000 1,427,300 1,567,600 1,765,300 1,932,700 
			  of which:  
			 Children looked after in foster care or children's homes(2) 1,245,300 1,337,800 1,484,800 11,657,200 1,805,000 
			 Total for Youth Justice(3) 105,800 121,300 148,700 1173,200 181,800 
			 (1) This includes children's homes, fostering services and other children looked after services such as lodgings or hostel and residential, respite and emergency nights in residential beds at family centres and secured accommodation for welfare reasons. (2) This includes short term placements, respite, placed for adoption (with foster care) and residential school placements (with children's homes) for children looked after and full cost paying. This is the Performance Assessment Framework Indicator B8. (3) This is the cost for providing or purchasing secure accommodation for those children that have a security requirement placed on them for youth justice reasons under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1993.  Source:  PSSEX1 
		
	
	 (b) The specific costs of educating a child in care are not collected centrally but most children in care attend maintained schools. DfES collects and publishes expenditure per pupil in maintained schools, as follows:
	
		
			  School based expenditure( 1,2,3)  per pupil( 4)  in cash terms since 1992-93 in England 
			 ( 9) £ per pupil in cash terms 
			   Local authority maintained pre—primary and primary schools( 8)  Local Authority maintained primary schools( 7)  Local Authority maintained secondary schools  Local Authority maintained pre-primary primary and secondary schools  Local Authority maintained primary and secondary schools 
			 1992-93 1,560 — 2,260 1,850 — 
			 1993-94 1,610 — 2,240 1,850 — 
			 1994-95 1,660 — 2,270 1,890 — 
			 1995-96 1,690 — 2.300 1,920 — 
			 1996-97 1,740 — 2,350 1,960 — 
			 1997-98(5) 1,740 — 2,360 1,970 — 
			 1998-99(5) 1,870 — 2,450 2,090 — 
			   
			 1999-2000(2,6) 2,050 2,010 2,610 2,290 2,260 
			 2000-01 2,280 2,210 2,830 2,510 2,480 
			 2001-02 2,570 2,480 3,150 2,820 2,770 
			   
			 2002-03(2,3) — 2,530 3,230 — 2,840 
			 2003-04 — 2,750 3.550 — 3,110 
			 2004-05 — 2,910 3.800 — 3,310 
			 2005-06 (provisional) — 3,150 4.070 — 3,570 
			 (1) School based expenditure includes only expenditure incurred directly by the schools. This includes the pay of teachers and school-based support staff, school premises costs, books and equipment, and certain other supplies and services, less any capital items funded from recurrent spending and income from sales, fees and charges and rents and rates. This excludes the central cost of support services such as home to school transport, local authority administration and the financing of capital expenditure. (2) 1999-2000 saw a change in data source when the data collection moved from the RO1 form collected by the ODPM to the Section 52 form from the DfES. 2002-03 saw a further break in the time series following the introduction of Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) to schools and the associated restructuring of the outturn tables. The change in sources is shown by the blank row. Comparable figures are not available prior to 1992-93. (3) The calculation for 2002-03 onwards is broadly similar to the calculation in previous years. However, 2001-02 and earlier years includes all premature retirement compensation (PRC) and Crombie payments, mandatory PRC payments and other indirect employee expenses. In 2001-02 this accounted for approximately £70 per pupil. From 2002-03 onwards only the schools element of these categories is included and this accounted for approximately £50 per pupil of the 2002-03 total. Also, for some LAs, expenditure that had previously been attributed to the school sectors was reported within the LA part of the form from 2002-03, though this is not quantifiable from existing sources. (4) Pupil numbers include only those pupils attending maintained establishments within each sector and are drawn from the DfES Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis. (5) Spending in 1997-98 reflects the transfer of moneys from local government to central government for the nursery vouchers scheme. These were returned to local government from 1998-99. (6) The 1999-2000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance. (7) Expenditure was not distinguished between the pre-primary and primary sectors until the inception of Section 52 for financial year 1999-2000. (8) School based expenditure in nursery schools was not recorded in 2002-03 and comparable figures for nursery expenditure are not available from 2003-04 onwards. (9) Figures are as reported by local authorities as at 18 October and are rounded to the nearest £10.  Source: Up to and including 1998-99, Local Authority Revenue Outturn (RO1) forms submitted to the ODPM then Local Authority Section 52 Outturn returns submitted to the DfES from 1999-2000. Pupil numbers are drawn from the DfES Annual Schools Census 
		
	
	The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has been responsible for collecting information on the costs of keeping children in custody since it began contracting places in April 2000. The YJB has provided the following information.
	Cost of keeping a child in custody in financial year 2005-06:
	Secure Training Centres—£47.2 million, for 274 places = £172,300 per capita
	Secure Children's Homes—£ 43.6 million, for 235 places = £185,500 per capita
	Young Offender Institutes (YOI)—£147 million, for 2,768 places = £53,100 per capita
	Total expenditure in this category = £237.8 million (this includes spend on education broken down as follows).
	The financial year 2005-06 is the last full year for which figures are available. Precise figures are not readily available for previous years but the figures are estimated to be similar in the last five years. For Secure Training Centres (STC) and Secure Children's Homes (SCH), the costs have increased by approximately 3 per cent. (just above inflation) per year.
	Custody data comes from the YJB Service Delivery team who manage the contracts and service level agreements with custody providers in the STC, SCH and YOI sectors. They use information on total contract price and number of beds provided to calculate per capita costs.
	Cost of educating a child in custody in financial year 2005-06:
	Secure Training Centres—£5 million, for 274 places = £18,200 per capita (estimated)
	Secure Children's Homes—£6.5 million, for 235 places = £27,700 per capita (estimated)
	Young Offender Institutes—£22.5 million, for 2,768 places = £8,100 per capita
	Education figures in STCs and SCHs are YJB estimates because it is not possible to disaggregate the cost of education from the total contract price. Education in YOIs over the last five years data also comes from YJB Service Delivery team. Education was an identified part of contracts first with the Prison Service, then in some regions with the Learning and Skills Council, and next year will be wholly paid to and delivered by LSC.

Children's Centres

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if the Department will carry out a regulatory impact assessment on the implementation of children's centres as stipulated in Every Child Matters: Change for Children.

Beverley Hughes: There was no commitment in the Every Child Matters Green Paper to carry out a separate regulatory impact assessment (RIA) for children's centres, and we do not plan one in the future. Assessments have already been carried out that consider the impact of placing the Sure Start children's centre delivery model on a sustainable and long term footing. A partial RIA was conducted for the Green Paper that considered the level of regulation required to achieve a robust integrated framework of services and clear lines of accountability, inspection and intervention. A full RIA was then completed for the Childcare Act that included consideration of the statutory requirement to secure proactive, accessible and integrated services focused on the under fives—the duty underpinning the delivery of high quality services through children's centres. This assessment concluded that the statutory duties introduced by the Act are supported through the additional resources made available for child care, nursery education, and Sure Start. Future funding levels will be determined through the normal spending review mechanisms.

Driving Jobs

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what grants are available for  (a) employers wishing to train staff and  (b) individuals wishing to gain training in driving related employment.

Phil Hope: The Government offer a range of support to employers wishing to train their staff. The financial support from this Department is usually attached to the learner not the employer and is offered in the form of a subsidy rather than a grant. Our new Train to Gain programme offers a skills brokerage service to help employers source the training they need and any subsidies that might be available to them and free training for employees undertaking their first full NVQ level 2 qualification. While public funding to take driving tests is not generally available, there are a wide range of qualification-bearing courses for those wishing to engage in driving-related employment—for example the NVQ2 in Road Passenger Transport.

Educational Psychologists

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received about the funding of trainee educational psychologists in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Representations have been received from a number of interested organisations, including the Association of Educational Psychologists, the National Association of Principal Educational Psychologists and the British Psychological Society. Some representations have also been received from individual psychologists.
	My right hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools, is to meet with representatives of the profession and the local authority employers' side for an update on the funding arrangements for those wishing to train to become an educational psychologist.

Energy Use

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what regulations govern the minimum and maximum temperatures for  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary classrooms in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools.

Jim Knight: The Education (School Premises) Regulations, SI No.2,1999 give the minimum temperature for classrooms as 18(o)C. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, Regulation 7 (1) states:
	"During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable."
	This includes all classrooms including temporary classrooms. The Regulations are accompanied by an Approved Code of Practice and guidance.
	Since April 2005, the HSE has made available general guidance on temperatures and thermal comfort for all indoor workplaces on the HSE website:
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/thermal/index.htm.
	This guidance applies to employees and staff working in schools rather than school pupils, and applies to all workplaces.
	The HSE has not issued specific guidance on maximum and minimum temperatures in classrooms. However, the Department for Education and Skills has issued guidance for classrooms, on the popular questions website(1), which states:
	High temperatures—Heat Stress and dehydration can be serious problems at temperatures above 35 degrees centigrade so that should be regarded as the maximum reasonable temperature for prolonged periods of time in school classrooms. This temperature is above comfort temperatures but healthy children should be able to cope with this if they are given generous supplies of cool water to drink. More sensitive children may experience problems at much lower temperatures and staff need to watch for signs of heat stress at temperatures above 28 degrees centigrade. Schools with inadequate supplies of drinking water need to make arrangements for children to drink enough water. It should be remembered that the amount of water that can be delivered through drinking water fountains is small.
	(1) http://www.dfes.gov.uk/popularquestions/

Further Education Finance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will take steps to improve the predictability of finance and income streams for further education institutions; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: It is important that further education institutions have a clear understanding of the Government's strategic direction for post-16 learning to enable them to allocate resources and to invest to best meet the needs of learners and employers. In each of the last two years we have published, some 10 months before the start of the funding year, a clear outline of our priorities giving providers the opportunity to prepare for forthcoming changes. This is significantly earlier than in previous years. The Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Annual Statement of Priorities for 2007/08, published last month, builds on what we said last year in Priorities for Success, and outlines our funding priorities to meet the challenges of raising the skills and qualifications of young people and adults to world standards. The LSC will be consulting before the end of the year on proposals to develop funding and planning arrangements that better respond to the demand of learners and employers for high quality learning.

Higher Education

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many university and college admissions service applications there were in each of the last five years; how many came from each parliamentary constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The figures for the five most recently completed application cycles are given in the following table. Details of applicants by constituency are not held by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
	
		
			  Applicants to full-time undergraduate courses through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)—applicants from England 
			  Year of entry  Applicants 
			 2001 330,856 
			 2002 331,602 
			 2003 337,593 
			 2004 339,967 
			 2005 368,801 
			  Source: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) 
		
	
	The most recent provisional figures for 2006 entry, which show the position at the middle of October, show that although there have been small decreases in both applicants and acceptances, this comes on the back of larger than usual increases in 2005. Compared to the same point in 2004, acceptance numbers are up by 12,000 or 4.3 per cent. The underlying trend is still up.

Higher Education

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many applications for funding by international students wishing to study at higher education institutions in England were received in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The number of EU domiciled students who applied for support towards tuition fees in each of the last five years to study at institutions in England is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Academic year  Number of EU students applying for tuition fee support( 1) 
			 2001/02 22,200 
			 2002/03 20,000 
			 2003/04 18,300 
			 2004/05 19,400 
			 2005/06 20,400 
			 (1) Numbers rounded to the nearest 100.  Source: Student Loans Company (SLC) 
		
	
	Up to 2005/06, EU students were entitled to means-tested tuition fee support on a similar basis to UK students. From 2006/07, EU students are entitled to a non means-tested tuition fee loan to cover the cost of their tuition.
	Similarly, UK students who wish to study at a university in Europe are eligible to benefit from whatever fee support that country of study offers (i.e. in the same way that the country's nationals would be treated).
	Non-EU overseas students are not eligible for the financial support package which is available to home and EU students, hence no data are available for these students.

Learning and Skills Council

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of Learning and Skills Council funding was spent on remedial training for  (a) level one and  (b) level two qualifications in each year between 2001 and 2006.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the planning and funding of post-16 education and training up to, but not including higher education. It has seen a real terms increase in funding between 2001-02 and 2006-07 of over 34 per cent.
	The proportion of LSC expenditure by level one and level two qualification by the categories requested is given in the following table. Information before 2003-04 is not available.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2003/04  2004/5  2005/06 
			  FE
			 Full level 2 6.7 6.7 8.7 
			 Other level 2 9.0 9.9 8.4 
			 Level 1 and entry 15.2 16.7 14.5 
			 Skills for life 17.3 17.9 18.0 
			 
			  PCDL 9.1 8.4 7.9 
			 
			  WBL
			 Entry to employment 0.3 0.2 0.2 
			 Apprenticeships 3.9 4.3 4.1

Ministerial Travel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the occasions since he has held his present office when he has used  (a) rail services,  (b) the London Underground,  (c) tram or light railway services and  (d) buses in connection with his ministerial duties.

Parmjit Dhanda: According to our records, the following journeys have been made by the types of transport listed above, in connection with ministerial duties:
	
		
			  Date  Destination  Mode of Transport 
			 7 June 2006 London to Birmingham New St.?Return Rail 
			 27 June 2006 London to Coventry Rail 
			 11 July 2006 London to Sheffield—Return Rail 
			 18 July 2006 London to Nottingham—Return Rail 
			 21 July 2006 Hull to Leeds—Return Rail 
			 24 July 2006 London to Leicester—Return Rail 
			 6 September 2006 London to Cambridge—Return Rail 
			 14 September 2006 London to Exeter Rail 
			 13 October 2006 London to Liverpool Lime Street Rail 
			 16 October 2006 London to Leeds Rail 
			 17 October 2006 London to Leeds Rail 
			 21 October 2006 Hull to Grantham Rail 
			 3 November 2006 London to Wolverhampton Rail 
		
	
	Ministers use public transport wherever possible and practical to complete their journey taking account of security considerations. All ministerial travel on official business is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in "Travel by Ministers".

Prisoner Education

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research his Department has  (a) conducted and  (b) evaluated regarding the effect of prisoner education on reoffending rates; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: holding answer 28 November 2006
	The Department for Education and Skills has not conducted or evaluated any research regarding the effect of prisoner education on re-offending rates, although the Home Office has an extensive programme of research that will consider how a range of treatments, interventions and support make a difference during and after custody.

School Meals

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will ban the use of hydrogenated oils and fats in foods served and sold in school canteens.

Parmjit Dhanda: There are no plans to ban the use of hydrogenated oils and fats in goods served and sold in school canteens. However, new standards for school food, which began to be introduced from September 2006, will reduce their provision, as part of wider measures to reduce the provision of goods with a high fat content. The current food-based standards for lunch and, from September 2007, for food provided outside of lunch, will reduce the provision of many foods which typically contain higher levels of hydrogenated fats and oils. And nutrient-based standards, from September 2008 in primary schools and September 2009 in secondary schools, will specify an upper limit for the proportion of energy to be derived from fat and saturated fat in an average school lunch.

Special Needs

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2006,  Official Report, column 109W, on special needs, what training on dyslexia the nationally accredited training regulations will contain.

Parmjit Dhanda: It is too early to say. Development work linked to the proposed introduction of nationally accredited training for newly appointed SEN co-ordinators has only just begun. In addition, we will need to consult on the association regulations.

University Students

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many university students there were in England on  (a) 2 May 1997 and  (b) the most recent date for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The figures are shown in the following table. The latest available information is for 2004-05; comparable figures for 2005-06 will be available in January 2007.
	
		
			  Number of enrolments to all English Institutions, split by level of study, for the academic years 1996-97 and 2004-05 
			   Academic year  Change between 1996-97 and 2004-05 
			  Level of study  1996-97  2004-05  Number  Percentage 
			 Postgraduates 272,915 372,510 99,595 36.5 
			 Undergraduates 1,159,240 1,428,165 268,925 23.2 
			 Total 1,432,155 1,800,675 368,520 25.7 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1st of December and are rounded to the nearest five, therefore parts may not sum to totals. 2. Figures cover all students from the UK and Overseas on full-time and part-time courses.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 
		
	
	The available information for years since 2004-05 covers students who have applied to full-time undergraduate courses through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS); they do not therefore cover postgraduate students, students on part-time courses or those full-time students who apply directly to institutions. The figures show that although there has been a small decrease in acceptances in 2006-07, this comes on the back of a larger than usual increase in 2005-06. Compared to the same point in 2004-05, acceptance numbers from England are up by 12,000 or 4.3 per cent. The underlying trend is still up.

Departmental Publications

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Guidance on Information Assurance security policy will be published as part of the Cabinet Offices's Transformational Government programme.

Patrick McFadden: Guidance has been made available to Departments through their chief information officers and departmental security officers. In line with other Government security policies this information is not publicly available, however Cabinet Office is intending to publish a risk assessment tool and associated policy guidance for electronic service delivery before Christmas; this will be available for use by the wider public sector.

e-Government

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate she has made of the proportion of dealings with Government which can be done by a member of the public electronically.

Patrick McFadden: The proportion of dealings with Government that can be made by a member of the public electronically is subject to change as respective Departments expand, consolidate or diversify existing e-enabled services. The most recent assessment completed in November 2006 has shown that 92 per cent. of public facing services are e-enabled and available to the public electronically.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  when she expects to publish the Cabinet Office's gender equality scheme;
	(2)  what steps she is taking to ensure that the Cabinet Office are taking steps to meet the requirements of the forthcoming duty on public bodies  (a) to end unlawful discrimination and harassment and  (b) to promote equality between women and men.

Patrick McFadden: The Cabinet Office is fully committed  (a) to end unlawful discrimination and harassment and  (b) to promote equality. It has been taking steps to action this commitment for a number of years and gender equality is an intrinsic part of our current diversity delivery plan.
	The Cabinet Office's gender equality scheme will be published by the end of April 2007.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans she has to carry out gender impact assessments of major policy developments and new legislation as required by the forthcoming gender equality duty.

Patrick McFadden: Cabinet Office currently undertakes equality impact assessments on race and disability. The Department will ensure that gender impact assessments are undertaken on all major policy developments and new legislation as part of the gender equality scheme development starting from December 2006.
	The Department is about to commence a project in January 2007 to develop an integrated equality impact assessment tool to cover all equality strands to be in place by June 2007.

Health and Safety Offences

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations she has received from the Health and Safety Commission Unit on the levels of fines for health and safety offences; and if she will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: I have not received any representations from the Health and Safety Commission on this issue and neither have my ministerial colleagues at the Cabinet Office.
	However, I understand that Professor Macrory has received a response from them as part of the Review of Regulatory Penalties. The Macrory Review final report the Macrory Review was published on 28 November 2006, and the Government accepted it in full.

Freedom of Information

Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many occasions her Department has released information under a Freedom of Information request that was previously withheld when sought by parliamentary question for written answer.

Vera Baird: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Legal Aid

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  when the results of the consultation entitled Legal Aid: a sustainable future will be published;
	(2)  when she expects to announce her proposals on family and civil legal aid.

Vera Baird: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my written statement on 28 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 87-88WS. My Department also laid Command Paper 6993 "Legal Aid Reform: the way Ahead" a copy of which can be found on the DCA website at http://www.dca.gov.uk/laid/laidfr.htm#lar

Magistrates

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the effect will be of the new anti-age discrimination legislation on the 70 years of age limit on serving magistrates.

Harriet Harman: There are no plans to change the retirement age for magistrates. The new age regulations provide that discrimination will not be unlawful if it is undertaken in order to comply with a requirement of any statutory provision. The retirement age for magistrates is set at 70 by ss12(2) and 13(1) of the Courts Act 2003.

Departmental Gifts

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average cost was of gifts given to overseas dignitaries at public cost by him in each of the last five years; and what the cost was of  (a) the most expensive and  (b) the least expensive gift given.

John Prescott: The answer is the same as the one I gave to previous questions on this issue, to the hon. Members for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) and East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on 30 October 2006,  Official Report, column 82W.

Downing Street Payroll

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what the annual cost was of the No. 10 Downing street staff payroll as of 1 April;
	(2)  how many staff were employed  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time by his Office (i) to work on press and media and (ii) to provide information and publicity in the 2005-06 financial year; and what assumption is made about these figures in his Office's budget for 2006-07;
	(3)  what the total staff costs of the Downing street Press Office were in 2005-06;
	(4)  what the total staff costs of his Office were in 2005-06.

Roger Williams: To ask the Prime Minister how many marketing officers, communications officers, press officers and promotional officers are employed in his Office; and what the total expenditure on communications for his Office is in 2006-07, broken down by  (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and  (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others.

Tony Blair: The total staff costs for my Office for the financial year 2005-06 was £11.8 million. Figures for the financial year 2006-07 are not yet available.
	At 1 April 2006 five members of the Government Information and Communications Service and one secondee from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office were working as Press Officers. A further 12 civil servants either worked in the Strategic Communications Unit or provided administrative support. For details of special advisers who work in my Office I refer the hon. Members to the written ministerial statement I made on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 86-90WS.
	The total cost of running the No. 10 press office for the financial year 2005-06 was £1.6 million.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  when he expects to publish his Office's gender equality scheme'
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that his Office is taking steps to meet the requirements of the forthcoming duty on public bodies  (a) to end unlawful discrimination and harassment and  (b) to promote equality between women and men.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. McFadden) today.

Airport Security

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were in 2005 as a result of incidents related to security breaches airside at  (a) Heathrow,  (b) Gatwick,  (c) other airports serving London and  (d) other airports; and how many such incidents there have been in 2006.

Tony McNulty: Information on the number of prosecutions for incidents relating to security breaches in England and Wales are not held centrally.
	Information for Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Office and that for Northern Ireland for the Northern Ireland Office.

Asylum Seekers

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of section 4 support for failed asylum seekers was in 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Expenditure on Section 4 support in 2005-06 was £58.6 million (subject to audit).

Departmental Accommodation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) the annual cost of maintenance is and  (b) the total value is of (i) the First, Second and Third Floors, 24 Greenwich High Road and (ii) Burghley Hall, 809-813 High Road, London E11.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office has no interest in 24 Greenwich High Road. The cost of maintenance of Burghley Hall, 809-813 High Road in FY 2005-06 was £8435. It is leased and has no capital value.

Disabled Staff

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of staff employed in his Department were registered disabled in each year since 2001.

Liam Byrne: The following table shows figures for disabled people employed in the Home Department for the years 2001 to 2006. Figures for 2001 to 2004 are taken from the Cabinet Office Mandate return for April in each of the years between 2001 and 2004 (see table).
	
		
			  Numbers of disabled people employed in Home Office 2001-06 
			   Home office main (inc IND)  UK Passport Service  HM Prison Service 
			   Disabled staff  Percentage  of staff  Disabled staff  Percentage  of staff  Disabled staff  Percentage  of staff 
			 2001 340 2.5 70 2.9 310 0.7 
			 2002 370 2.6 150 5.0 480 1.1 
			 2003 420 2.5 130 4.5 470 1.1 
			 2004 460 2.4 130 4.9 500 1.1 
			 2005 555 2.6 173 5.27 1,537 3.1 
			 2006 488 2.3 177 4.86 1,635 3.3

Drugs

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average London street price of  (a) herbal cannabis,  (b) skunk,  (c) cocaine,  (d) crack,  (e) heroin and  (f) ecstasy was in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that not all the information is available. The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Per ounce  Per gram  
			   Cannabis herbal  Cannabis resin  Cocaine   Crack  Heroin  Ecstasy (per tablet) 
			 1997 n/a n/a 44 129 118 n/a 
			 1998 n/a n/a 123 98 83 n/a 
			 1999 n/a n/a 111 137 78 n/a 
			 2000 n/a n/a 73 83 81 n/a 
			 2001 n/a n/a 93 102 148 n/a 
			 2002 n/a n/a 63 93 88 n/a 
			 2003 n/a n/a n/a 78 71 n/a 
			 2004 n/a n/a 54 69 51 n/a 
			 2005 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2006 60 100 60 60 60 3

Illegal Migrant Population

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to estimate the illegal migrant population residing in the UK.

Liam Byrne: No Government of the UK has been able to say with accuracy how many illegal immigrants are present in the country, because there is currently no means of counting those who leave the country on their own accord without informing the immigration authorities.
	The IND Review published on 25 July contains new strategic objectives and plans to tackle identifying individuals who have been refused asylum and not deported.
	A full copy of the report can be found at
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/indreview

Parenting Orders

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parenting orders requiring parents to attend parenting classes have been made to residents of  (a) Hendon and  (b) Barnet in the last three years; how many parents in (i) Hendon and (ii) Barnet have attended parenting classes voluntarily in the same period; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has, since 2000 collected the number of parenting orders reported to it by youth offending teams (YOTs) relating to youth offending, civil orders and non-attendance of children at school where the YOT has been involved and since April 2004, parenting orders applied for by the YOT. These figures cover the YOT area. Barnet YOT covers the London borough of Barnet which includes Hendon.
	Parenting orders require the parent to attend a counselling or guidance programme specified by the responsible officer but the order need not include such a requirement where a parenting order has been made previously. Parenting orders recorded by Barnet YOT are shown in table A.
	Since September 2004, the Department for Education and Skills has collected data on the number of parenting orders in England relating to non-attendance of children at school and exclusion from school at local authority level. The latest available data covers the period to April 2006. The London borough of Barnet has reported no parenting orders in this period.
	Since April 2004 the YJB has collected data reported by Barnet YOT on the numbers of young people with a final warning or community disposal that have received a parenting intervention. More than one parent may receive a parenting intervention in respect of a young person but the total number of parents involved is not reported. The parenting intervention may involve a group programme or work with individual parents depending on the assessed need.
	Voluntary parenting interventions recorded by Barnet YOT are as follows:
	
		
			  Voluntary parenting interventions recorded by Barnet YOT 
			   Number 
			  April to March:  
			 2004-05 31 
			 2005-06 22 
		
	
	The London borough of Barnet has reported no parenting contracts to the DfES. However, parents who live within Barnet and whose children attend schools outside the borough could be subject to an education-related parenting order or contract which would appear on the data return for that local authority. Information on such cases is not collected centrally.
	Data is not held centrally on the number of parents in Barnet who have attended parenting classes voluntarily.
	
		
			  Table A: Parenting orders recorded by Barnet YOT 
			   Parenting orders relating to 
			   Youth offending, other civil orders, and since April 2004, applied for by the YOT  Non-attendance at school where the YOT has been involved 
			  April to March:   
			 2003-04 11 1 
			 2004-05 4 0 
			 2005-06 5 0

Police

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) the North West,  (c) Greater Manchester and  (d) Manchester, Gorton constituency on (i) 2 May 1997 and (ii) the most recent date for which figures are available.

John Reid: The available data are given in the tables. Police strength is collated by financial year and figures are given as at the last day of the period (31 March). As the requested date falls between the periods for the 1996-97 (strength as at 31 March 1997) and 1997-98 (strength as at 31 March 1998) both have been provided. Data for police strength are not available by constituency, and so the nearest available data, that for South Manchester basic command unit, have been provided.
	
		
			  Police strength (FTE)( 1)  as at 31 March 1997, 1998 and 2006 
			   1997  1998  2006 
			 England and Wales 125,051 124,756 139,631 
			 North West Region 17,589 17,627 19,215 
			 Greater Manchester Police Force 6,922 6,949 7,959 
			 South Manchester Basic Command Unit(2) n/a n/a 441 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) FTE figures rounded to the nearest whole number. Excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (2) BCU data is not available prior to 2002-03. Includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

Police

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent  (a) police officers,  (b) community support officers and  (c) police civilian staff were employed by North Yorkshire Police in each year since 1992.

Tony McNulty: The available data are given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Total strength (FTE)( 1)  for police officers, police community support officers and police staff( 2)  in north Yorkshire—1992 to 2006 
			  As at 31 March  Police officers  Police community support officers (PCSOs)( 3)  Police staff( 4) 
			 1992 1,398 — 445 
			 1993 1,393 — 453 
			 1994 1,318 — 438 
			 1995 1,300 — 508 
			 1996 1,324 — 520 
			 1997 1,338 — 519 
			 1998 1,367 — 543 
			 1999 1,337 — 541 
			 2000 1,283 — 492 
			 2001 1,305 — 591 
			 2002 1,417 — 743 
			 2003 1,444 0 723 
			 2004 1,529 52 864 
			 2005 1,543 75 930 
			 2006 1,636 71 1,030 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures exclude those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave unless otherwise stated. (2) Civilian Staff have been referred to as police staff since March 2003. Figures exclude traffic wardens, police community support officers and designated officers (s.38). (3) Figures for PCSOs have only been collected since 2003 and include those on career breaks and maternity/paternity leave. (4) Strength figures for civilian staff were collected by HMIC from1992 until 1995. The Research Development and Statistics Section within the Home Office, have been collecting and publishing this data since March 1996

Prisons

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of long prison sentences on re-offending rates; on what evidence his assessment is based; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Re-offending rates by length of custodial sentence are published in "Adult Re-offending: results from the 2003 cohort":
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb2006.pdf.
	The report shows that longer custodial sentences are associated with lower re-offending rates. However, the relationship between re-offending and sentence is complex and this does not, by itself, prove that longer custodial sentences cause lower re-offending rates. A research programme is currently being undertaken to understand this further.

Prisons

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners re-offended within two years of release in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The most recent re-offending rates for adults living in England and Wales were published in November 2006 as: 'Re-offending of Adults: results from the 2003 cohort'. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 20/06. The report is available online at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb2006.pdf
	The two-year re-offending rate for adults released from custody in 2003 can be found on pages 8-9 and table A5.
	The most recent re-offending rates for juveniles (those aged 10 to 17) living in England and Wales were published in June 2006 as: 'Re-offending of Juveniles: results from the 2004 cohort'. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 10/06. The report is available online at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1006.pdf
	The one-year re-offending rate for juveniles released from custody in 2004 can be found on pages 8-9 and table A5.

Prisons

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many Category D prisoners over the age of 70 years are serving sentences in jails in England and Wales;
	(2)  how many Category D prisoners over the age of 70 are not considered for parole because of the severity of their original offence; for how long, on average, those prisoners have served; and what assessment has been made of the danger to the public of the release on licence of each prisoner.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the numbers of Category D prisoners over the age of 70 serving sentences in England and Wales as recorded on the prison IT system is not available separately by age because the numbers are small and the accuracy at this level of detail cannot be guaranteed. Providing an accurate and comprehensive response in the form requested could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.
	All determinate sentence prisoners, regardless of their age and the security classification of the establishment in which they are detained, who are serving a sentence of four years or more and who are entitled to be released under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, are eligible to apply for consideration for early release on parole once they reach the halfway point of their sentence. In deciding whether or not to grant parole, the Parole Board is required to consider the Secretary of State's Directions that the board shall consider primarily the risk to the public of a further offence being committed at a time when the prisoner would otherwise be in prison and whether any such risk is acceptable. This must be balanced against the benefit, both to the public and the offender, of early release back into the community under a degree of supervision and which might help rehabilitation and so lessen the risk of re-offending in the future. The board however must take into account that safeguarding the public may often outweigh the benefits to the offender of early release.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners in Wales who may be entitled to compensation for having drug substitution treatment withdrawn on entry to prison.

Gerry Sutcliffe: To obtain these details it would require an analysis of the medical records of each prisoner held in a prison in Wales over the last six years. This would involve disproportionate costs.

Road Safety

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists were  (a) disqualified from driving and  (b)(i) caught and (ii) prosecuted for driving while disqualified (A) in total, (B) in each region and (C) in each police force area in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Decisions as to the charging and prosecution of those detected apparently driving whilst disqualified are matters for the police and CPS and data are not recorded centrally.
	Available information taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, is provided in the tables from 1997-2004 (latest available), which will be placed in the House Libraries.
	2005 data will be available in 2007.

Adult Social Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will set a new health care standard in the national minimum standards for adult social care to ensure that care home residents receive adequate access to fresh drinking water; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will make representations to the Food Standards Agency to redraft its nutritional guidance for institutions providing residential care to older people so that it explicitly addresses the provision of fresh drinking water on demand.

Ivan Lewis: Regulation 16 of the care homes regulations requires care homes to provide, in adequate, quantities, suitable, wholesome and nutritious food which is varied and properly prepared and available at such time as may reasonably be required by service users. Food, in the regulations, includes drink.
	Standard 15 of the national minimum standards (NMS) for care homes for older people includes the requirements that:
	service users receive a varied, appealing, wholesome and nutritious diet, which is suited to individual assessed and recorded requirements, and that meals are taken in a congenial setting and at flexible times; and
	hot and cold drinks and snacks are available at all times and offered regularly.
	The review of the NMS, which the Commission for Social Care Inspection must take into account when inspecting care homes, is ongoing and will be subject to public consultation in due course. The issue of the availability of drinking water to residents is being considered as part of the review.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) published nutrient and food based advice for those providing food in care homes on 19 October 2006. This advice includes example menus, which include making water available at all eating occasions. Government advice is that we need to drink six to eight glasses of fluid every day. It is therefore implicit that care homes should be making water freely available throughout the day.
	The nutrient and food-based guidance for those providing residential care for older people is the first part in a series of guidance documents for United Kingdom institutions. The FSA expects to produce guidance for other institutions, including the NHS and prisons, in early 2007.

Breast Treatment

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made towards achieving the Government's commitment for all people with breast problems to be seen by a specialist within two weeks; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Government set out its commitment to go further on cancer waits in its 2005 election manifesto. We have already started to consider areas where we might go further on cancer waits and are seeking views from a range of stakeholders on a number of options, including the option of seeing all patients with breast symptoms within two weeks.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced today that she would ask the National Clinical Director for Cancer, Professor Mike Richards, to develop a cancer reform strategy for the next five to 10 years. Proposals for going further on cancer waits will be considered as part of this overall cancer reform strategy.

Carbon Monoxide

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning in the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: The number of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in England and Wales has steadily declined over the last 10 years from 1,016 in 1996 to 257 in 2005. A breakdown of the figures is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning( 1) , England and Wales, 1996-2005( 2) 
			   Number of deaths 
			 1996 1,016 
			 1997 840 
			 1998 724 
			 1999 666 
			 2000 521 
			 2001 480 
			 2002 418 
			 2003 416 
			 2004 297 
			 2005 257 
			 (1 )The cause of death was defined using the International Classification Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 986 for the yeas 1996 to 2000, and the Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T58 from 2001 onwards. (2) Deaths occurring in each calendar year.  Source: Office for National Statistics

Carbon Monoxide

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking  (a) to prevent deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning and  (b) to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Caroline Flint: The Department is committed to help prevent deaths caused by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Specific recent actions to achieve this include publications to increase awareness of medical staff and the public:
	 CMO Update January 2006—Carbon monoxide poisoning
	This provides advice to doctors on CO poisoning. CMO Update is sent to all doctors registered with the GMC in England including hospital and A and E doctors. The Update is copied to the devolved administrations for information. CMO Updates are available on the Department's website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/LettersAndCirculars/CMOUpdate/CMOUpdateArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4126235&chk=y6qnQn
	 Indoor Air Pollution— Carbon Monoxide. Risks to health and how to avoid them (2006).
	This public information leaflet, distributed early 2006 to all GP surgeries in England, provides information on the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, ways in which to prevent poisoning and the contact details of organizations and other government departments involved with the prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning.
	The Health and Safety Executive, Heating Equipment Testing and Approval scheme, Council for Registered Gas Installers, CO-Gas Safety, Solid Fuel Association, and the NHS all endorsed the leaflet. The CORGI emergency helpline is included in the leaflet. Leaflets are available free, from the Department's stores and is available on the Department's website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4123787&chk=sAoYSP
	 "Keep Warm Keep Well", a winter guide 2006-07
	This booklet is produced by the Department and is being widely distributed and available from publications stores. It contains useful advice on the maintenance of heating appliances and protection against carbon monoxide poisoning.
	Booklets are available free from the Department's stores and is available on the Department's website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/socialcare.

Health Care Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much per capita was spent on health services in  (a) Hartlepool constituency and  (b) England in each of the last 10 years.

Andy Burnham: National health service expenditure per head for England is shown in the table. Figures are not available for expenditure per head for Hartlepool constituency but expenditure accounted for by the Hartlepool Primary Care Trust has been provided for the five years it has been in existence.
	
		
			  £ per head 
			   Hartlepool  England 
			 1996-97 n/a 627.19 
			 1997-98 n/a 703.36 
			 1998-99 n/a 741.84 
			 1999-2000 n/a 810.82 
			 2000-01 n/a 883.51 
			 2001-02 789.36 976.89 
			 2002-03 1,039.08 1,073.22 
			 2003-04 1,141.79 1,305.17 
			 2004-05 1,251.89 1,384.72 
			 2005-06 1,455.61 1,548.84 
			  Note: Expenditure shown for Hartlepool Primary Care Trust does not include all NHS expenditure within the constituency. Expenditure on general dental services and pharmaceutical services accounted for by the Dental Practice Board and Prescription Pricing Authority, respectively, are excluded from the primary care trust figures. This expenditure cannot be included within the figures for the individual health bodies as they are not included in commissioner accounts. Figures for Hartlepool and England are not therefore directly comparable. Expenditure by NHS trusts is not included as the majority of this would result in double counting within the constituency. An element of strategic health authority expenditure is also omitted as it cannot be accurately allocated to the constituency or primary care trust area.  Sources: 1. Audited summarisation schedules of Hartlepool Primary Care Trust. 2. Net NHS England expenditure figures. 3. Office for National Statistics unweighted population figures.

Health Professionals

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) headcount and  (b) full-time equivalent (i) doctors, (ii) nurses and (iii) other health professionals were employed by independent sector providers in relation to centrally procured healthcare services for NHS patients in each year since 2004-05.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is shown in the table:
	
		
			   Whole time equivalent  Headcount 
			  2004-05   
			 Doctors 14.8 17 
			 Nurses 28.0 28 
			 Allied health professionals 0.00 0 
			
			  2005-06   
			 Doctors 110.0 240 
			 Nurses 367.5 433 
			 Allied health professionals 46.6 53 
			
			  2006 to date   
			 Doctors 177.6 382 
			 Nurses 554.4 672 
			 Allied health professionals 78.6 83 
			  Notes: Figures are shown for those employed by independent sector providers in relation to independent sector treatment centres, walk in centres with a commuter focus and the mobile ophthalmology services. The figures do not include the centrally procured general supplementary contracts, the mobile MRI service or the chlamydia screening service.

Health Visitors

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that health visitors are fully involved in the Government's plans to teach parenting skills.

Andy Burnham: We are involving health visitors in a range of parenting initiatives. The social exclusion action plan health-led parenting project will test an intensive model of parenting support for at risk families and will be delivered by health visitors and midwives. Health visitors are being encouraged to contribute to Sure Start children's centres and we have set up a working group to review the future role of health visitors that will include looking at their important contribution to parenting.

Infant Formula Milk

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for ending the practice of using goats milk protein in infant formula milk.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised that the sale of infant nutrition products based on goats milk protein is in breach of European Union and United Kingdom infant formula legislation. There is no timetable but FSA is working to promote full compliance with the legislation, acknowledging that in certain circumstances, it make take time for businesses to make the necessary arrangements to market their products in accordance with the legislation.

Influenza Vaccine (Plymouth)

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health why GP surgeries in Plymouth will not receive their full orders of influenza vaccine until December.

Caroline Flint: General practitioners purchase their own supply of flu vaccine direct from the supplier of their choice. This year there are six suppliers of flu vaccine to the United Kingdom. The Department is not responsible for the supplies of flu vaccine to individual general practitioners.

Lyme Disease

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of Lyme disease there have been in each strategic health authority area over the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Data on cases of Lyme disease in each strategic health authority is not routinely available. Data for England and Wales over the past five years are available as follows:
	
		
			   Number of cases 
			 2001 268 
			 2002 340 
			 2003 292 
			 2004 500 
			 2005 595 
			  Source: Health Protection Agency http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/zoonoses/lyme_borreliosis/enhanced.htm

Maternity Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which hospitals have lost neonatal intensive care cots due to the impact of NHS trust deficits;
	(2)  how many neonatal intensive care cots were available in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many babies born in England in each of the last five years required neonatal care.

Ivan Lewis: Information on hospitals that have closed neonatal intensive care cots due to the impact of national health service trust deficits is not collected centrally.
	Information on the number of neonatal intensive care cots available in each of the last five years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Average daily number of available neonatal intensive care beds in England, 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			   Available beds 
			 2001-02 1,543 
			 2002-03 1,551 
			 2003-04 1,491 
			 2004-05 1,523 
			 2005-06 1,688 
			  Notes: 1. This is the average daily number of beds available in wards open overnight classified as intensive care: Neonates. 2. 'Intensive care: neonates' is actually the number of beds in wards classified as 'neonates: intensive care wards'. Therefore this may include beds that are not neonatal intensive care beds.  Source: Department of Health form KH03 
		
	
	Information on the number of babies born in England in each of the last five years that required neonatal care is not collected centrally.

Medical Error

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to minimise fatalities due to medical error in hospitals.

Andy Burnham: The Government are concerned about national health service patients affected by adverse events. It established the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) in July 2001 to develop and maintain a national reporting and learning system (NRLS) for patient safety incidents so that these incidents could be analysed and sources of risk identified and acted upon. This system is now in place across the NHS, all trusts have been connected and are reporting to the system from late 2005. Data collected by the agency are based on incidents reported by NHS staff.
	The NPSA is reviewing incidents resulting in death and is in discussion with key stakeholders to identify appropriate strategies to address the underlying risk in areas where there is the opportunity for a national patient safety solution.
	The agency has also issued 20 national patient safety solutions, of which seven have been patient safety alerts addressing high risk patient safety issues, these are:
	improving compliance with oral methotrexate;
	reducing the harm caused by misplaced naso and orgastric feeding tubes in babies under the care of neonatal units;
	correct site surgery;
	advice on reducing harm caused by the misplacement of nasogastric tubes;
	clean hands helps to save lives;
	crash call number; and
	safe storage and handling of potassium chloride.
	The agency is evaluating the impacts of these in terms of reducing harm to patients. Two examples where there is information about the potential benefits are:
	clean your hands campaign—99 per cent. of hospitals in England and 100 per cent. of hospitals in Wales have implemented this campaign. It is expected that at least 89 deaths per year will be averted, rising to 445 averted deaths per year after five years; and
	potassium chloride—it is estimated that one to two deaths every year are prevented.

Royal Free Hospital

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which services  (a) have been and  (b) will be transferred from Mount Vernon to Royal Free Hospital; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Transfer of the plastic service took place on 3 October 2006, when all elective adult and paediatric in-patient procedures were transferred to the Royal Free Hospital Trust in Hampstead.

Sleep Apnoea

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of people in  (a) England,  (b) Redbridge and  (c) Waltham Forest who have sleep apnoea; what treatment is available for sleep apnoea on the NHS; how many are estimated to suffer from it; where in East London the treatment is available; what policy local primary care trusts have for funding the relevant treatment; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Data on the number of people with sleep apnoea is not available centrally but the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association estimates that 4 per cent. of men and 2 per cent. of women are affected by the condition.
	Patients with sleep apnoea are able to access a range of national health service and social care services, tailored to meet their individual needs, to help them manage their condition. It is for health professionals in primary care organisations, in consultation with other stakeholders, to determine which services their populations require and ensure the appropriate level of provision. In terms of sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea, this would include, where appropriate, the provision of continuous positive airway pressure equipment as well as other treatments and interventions such as advice to promote weight loss. It is for health professionals to decide what treatment to offer patients, in consultation with the patient and informed by the patient's medical history.
	Information on specialist sleep apnoea services in East London is not available centrally.

Tranquilisers/Anti-depressants

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the spending per head on GP prescribed  (a) tranquilisers and  (b) anti-depressants in (i) England and (ii) each primary care trust area of England was in each of the last three years.

Andy Burnham: The net ingredient cost (NIC) per person for each of the last three years, for England, is shown in the table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Hypnotics and anxiolytics (tranquilisers)  Antidepressant drugs 
			 2003 0.74 7.77 
			 2004 0.73 7.89 
			 2005 0.75 6.66 
		
	
	Information on the NIC per person for each primary care trust has been placed in the Library.
	All data are taken from the prescribing and analysis cost tool (PACT) and uses 2004 population estimates, base year 2001.

Tuberculosis

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many X-ray facilities for tuberculosis screening  (a) there are and  (b) are planned at ports and airports other than Heathrow and Gatwick.

Caroline Flint: In England, X-ray equipment for use in medical examination of people referred under the Immigration Act is provided at Heathrow and Gatwick airports. There are X-ray units at Gatwick north terminal, and Heathrow terminals two, three and four. Operational decisions regarding X-ray facilities at ports of entry are the responsibility of the Health Protection Agency.